


You Look Cute Even When You're Yelling

by Cumberbatch Critter (ivelostmyspectacles)



Series: DouWata 30 Day OTP Challenge [8]
Category: xxxHoLic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Domesticity, First Meeting, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-08
Updated: 2015-08-08
Packaged: 2018-04-13 17:10:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4530246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivelostmyspectacles/pseuds/Cumberbatch%20Critter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: It's like 3 am and I'm exhausted, and I can hear you raging next door about failing at putting an Ikea bed together, so here I am, helping you put it together and holy shit, you're cute.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Look Cute Even When You're Yelling

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt this time originally came from **stardust-sketcher on Tumblr**. Someone reblogged it and I saw and I just couldn't pass it up!
> 
> I do not own _xxxHolic_. Thanks for reading~!

Doumeki sighed as he stared at the ceiling. He had only gotten off a double shift an hour ago, and had come home with the full intention of getting a bath, scrounging up something to eat, and then going to bed. He hated his job, he hated double shifts, and he hated that his neighbor was too loud at three in the morning.

From the sounds of it, said neighbor was trying to build something, or put something together, or whatever. And apparently, from the sounds of it, it wasn't working.

Doumeki rubbed his forehead and propelled himself from bed - he hadn't been sleeping, he hadn't even changed out of his work uniform yet - to head for the door.

Watanuki was generally a good guy, Doumeki suspected. He didn't know much about him, but all of the tenants in their apartment building seemed to like him. Watanuki didn't seem to like _Doumeki_ , though, glaring at him for whatever reason when they passed in the hallway. It didn't bother Doumeki, really. He found it more amusing than anything else, although they had never spoken, so he had never told Watanuki that.

He left his room and knocked on Watanuki's door, running his fingers through his hair.

There was a _smack_ , and then an _ow!_ , and then footsteps, and Watanuki jerked the door open, looking frazzled, rubbing his head, wearing nothing but his glasses and a too-big t-shirt and sweats. He looked instantly guarded when he met Doumeki's gaze. "What are you doing here?"

Doumeki considered the answer, and then decided that, since they hadn't met officially, a greeting was in order. "I'm Doumeki Shizuka. Live next door."

"I know who you are!" Watanuki screeched, and oh, he was that loud like that just naturally, apparently. "You didn't answer my question!"

"I live next door," Doumeki repeated. "And you're being loud."

Watanuki scowled. "Well, I'm _sorry_!" He glanced back into his apartment, letting his hand drop from his head. His hair was a mess, almost endearingly, ah... cute.

Doumeki blinked. He thought his next door neighbor was cute, and he hadn't noticed until now? It had been an increasingly long stretch of time since he'd been interested in anyone at all, to be honest, and this sudden development surprised him a little.

"I bought a bed, Western style, you know, and it's supposed to be one of those things that goes together piece by piece and it's really simple, but it's not simple, it's false advertising, and I worked all day and I'm just gonna sleep on the futon." He started to close the door, but Doumeki reached forward to stop him.

"Can I see?" For whatever reason, he decided to ask. Maybe he thought he was going to play hero today. Maybe he just wanted to look at Watanuki for a moment longer.

Watanuki frowned. "You... why?"

Doumeki shrugged.

Watanuki sighed, and opened the door the whole way. " _Fine_. I'm too tired to argue. Come in."

Doumeki stepped inside, glancing around. Watanuki's apartment was very much the same as his own, same layout, same colour scheme. Same curtains, same floor under Doumeki's stocking feet.

"Why are you up, anyway? Clearly, I didn't wake you," Watanuki said, glancing at him as he led the way to his bedroom.

Doumeki glanced down at his own uniform. "Work. Got off at two."

Watanuki wrinkled his nose. "Ugh. Sounds like my boss, she's a nightmare and for some reason, I keep going back. She's actually the reason I got this dumb bed, she has one, they're comfortable."

Doumeki raised his eyebrows. "You sleep with your boss?"

"Wha- _no_!" Watanuki flailed. "Who the hell asks something like that?! I've gotten sick a couple times at her place and ended up staying over!" He growled. "It's a shop, she runs it from her house. _Jeez_ , you're an idiot."

Doumeki shrugged slightly. It wasn't his fault that Watanuki made it sound like he slept with his boss. He wondered if he slept with anyone. Women. Guys, maybe.

"Well, here's the mess," Watanuki grumbled, gesturing towards the Western style bed. "And I'm sure I could have figured it out on my own, just so you know."

"Hm." Doumeki crossed the room. He had known a few people that had had these beds, and even some of the patrons of his parent's temple had had one. "I might be able to help. Hand me that piece?"

"Wait, which one?" Watanuki folded himself down next to him, frowning.

 

 

It was four-thirty by the time that they actually managed to get the thing together. Doumeki apparently didn't know as much about them as he had thought, and the instructions were pointless because they hadn't worked, and he was exhausted once they had finally shoved the mattress onto the box springs.

Thankfully he didn't have to work tomorrow, he thought, as he flopped uninvited onto the bare mattress. His arms were shaking a little bit, a sure sign of exhaustion that he should have paid heed to much earlier.

"This was too much work," Watanuki groaned, collapsing next to him.

"Comfortable, though." Doumeki shifted slightly. The bounce of the mattress was something new, and unfamiliar, but it was... comfortable. Strangely so.

... Maybe he'd go buy a bed next weekend.

"Yeah." Watanuki sighed, throwing his arm over his eyes.

Doumeki tilted his head sideways, watching Watanuki from the corner of his eye. He really was cute. The hair, and the glasses, and his blue eyes and pale skin. He smiled to himself.

Watanuki glanced out from under his arm, and then frowned. "What?"

"Nothing." Doumeki turned his gaze back to the ceiling.

"You were staring at me!"

"Sorry." He inhaled heavily and pushed himself to his feet, feeling dragged down with exhaustion. "I'm going back home."

"Jeez, fine. Don't do me any more favours and then stare at me and then leave like nothing happened!" Watanuki rolled over, grabbing one of the pillows. "Can you lock the door on your way out?"

 

 

The next day, Doumeki was dragged out of bed at ten, even though he had intended to spend a lazy day asleep due to last night's events, by insistant knocking at his door.

He rubbed his eyes, looked around for his shirt, gave up, and trudged to the door.

Watanuki stood on the other side, a box in hand, mouth open to speak. He stopped, momentarily, his eyes tracking down Doumeki's bare chest for a split second before jumping back up.

Doumeki felt a uncharacteristic warmth rise to his cheeks, and Watanuki looked a little embarrassed as he spoke.

"I brought over cookies."

Doumeki looked at the box.

"For the, well... Since you helped last night. This morning." Watanuki huffed softly and held out the box to Doumeki. "I don't know what you like, so I made several kinds."

Doumeki looked at the box, and Watanuki, and took it carefully. "Thank you." He popped the lid and reached for one, biting into it immediately.

"What, you're already eating them!?"

"They're good." They were good, surprisingly so. Amazing, even, and Doumeki was kind of a picky eater.

"Don't talk with your mouth full!"

Doumeki brushed crumbs from his mouth. "Do you want to come in?"

"Why the heck would I wanna do that?" Watanuki retorted.

"I can make coffee," Doumeki offered, and reached for another cookie.

Watanuki seemed to hesitate. Think it over. "... Do you have tea?"

"I like coffee."

"You just invited me into your house, it doesn't matter what _you_ like!"

Doumeki turned to head to the kitchen, assuming that Watanuki would follow. "You can make tea if you want."

"What kind of courtesy is that?!?"

Watanuki followed him to the kitchen.

 


End file.
